How to Make Use of Vacuum Attachments

Any modern vacuum comes with a load of attachments designed to help you clean specific parts of your home with ease. Making use of these attachments makes good sense.

Following is a list of the most common attachments and their uses:

Brush attachment: The long, soft bristles of this tool are set around an oval suction hole and are perfect for delicate cleaning. Try it on blinds, fabric lampshades, and special rugs. It’s also good on paintwork.

You can also dust decorative ornaments with the brush. If these are small or exceptionally delicate, be on the safe side by fitting a quick safety net. Pop a leg cut from an old pair of tights (pantyhose) or a knee-high nylon sock over the brush and secure with a fabric hair scrunchie. You reduce the vacuum’s suction power and eliminate the danger of objects disappearing into the cleaner.

Crevice attachment: This long, shaped pipe brings strong suction to awkward corners. Ideal for skirting boards (baseboards) and the floor around the toilet. It’s also good for reaching up high. Use it to suck away trapped ceiling dirt.

Floor attachment: A large brush that mimics the standard cylinder cleaner brush and is generally the same size. It may have a setting for hard floors. Use it on areas where wheeling your vacuum is difficult. But in a typical home, you may not use this attachment that much.

Stair attachment: This neat tool is shaped like a scaled-down version of the hose on a cylinder vacuum. It has strong, even suction that gets into tight corners and so helps you do stairs (obviously!) plus sofas, curtains, and small areas of carpet.

Figure 5-1: Vacuum cleaner attachments make cleaning easier.

You can only clean with clean equipment. So it makes sense not to move straight from a dirty job like cleaning blinds onto a delicate one such as vacuuming a curtain pelmet. Instead, take a good look at your attachment as you finish a particular task. The brush attachment is particularly prone to getting lint trapped within the bristles.